GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Heavy Petty returns to the “Free Fridays” Concert Series with a tribute to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Friday, Aug. 17 from 8-10 p.m. Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Famer Tom Petty is one of the most famous musicians to hail from Gainesville, Florida. Heavy Petty is Gainesville’s own Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers tribute band. The band first played on Valentine's night in 2010 at Common Grounds in downtown Gainesville. Since then, the five-piece rock ‘n’ roll band has played many different events and venues in and around Gainesville. Heavy Petty prides itself in playing Tom Petty songs with attention paid to strict interpretation, but also in being able to rock out, have a lot of fun and get the crowd involved.

The concert also features original songs by the group under the name HEDGES. HEDGES will have their album “Mixed Signals” available at the concert. To make the album, the band worked with legendary music producer and engineer Don Zientara of Inner Ear studio in Washington, DC. Zientara is best known for his work with such bands as Minor Threat, Bad Brains and Foo Fighters.

Jason Hedges (lead vocals/guitar/harmonica) is the front man for both bands, taking on the role of Tom Petty in the tribute. Hedges is a natural entertainer, and easily gets crowds riled up and singing along. After Tom Petty’s tragic passing last year, Jason Hedges said, “Now more than ever, we want to keep Tom Petty’s music alive and thriving for generations to come.”

The Heavy Petty concert is one of the select “Free Fridays” classic rock concerts that are sponsored by classic rock radio station WIND-FM (92.5, 95.5, 107.9).

“Free Fridays” is presented by The City of Gainesville Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs. It is funded in part by a Tourist Development Tax Grant from the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners in conjunction with the Alachua County Tourist Development Council and Culture Builds Florida. “Free Fridays” runs 8 – 10 p.m. each Friday night, from May 4 to Oct. 19 at Bo Diddley Plaza, 111 E. University Ave. in downtown Gainesville. The entire “Free Fridays” 2018 schedule can be viewed at www.freefridaysgnv.com.For general information, contact Russell Etling, cultural affairs manager, at etlingrh@cityofgainesville.org or 352-393-8532. For more information about this event, please contact David Ballard at ballarddg@cityofgainesville.org or 352-393-8746.